Top scorer: James Rodrigues(6 goals)
Number of games: 64
Total goals scored: 171
Average goals per game: 2.67
Highest scoring game: Germany 7-1 win over Brazil
Total attendance: 3,429,873
Average attendance: 53,592
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The top teams from each of the eight groups advanced to the knockout round.
THE FINAL
In the first ten minutes, Messi turned on the after-burners to get away for Mats Hummels. Pablo Zabaleta found some space down Germany’s left side too. Then Toni Kroos completely misjudged a header in midfield, lofted the ball towards his own goal and out of Hummels’ reach and sent Higuain in. The memory of his shot, pulled wide, will live with Higuain for the rest of his life.
He had the ball in the net nine minutes later and was almost back to the Argentine bench celebrating before he checked over his shoulder and saw the Italian linesman with his flag raised, correctly, for offside. Yet even so, it felt like Argentina had the first half on points. Howedes misjudged a tackle on Zabaleta, went far too high over the ball and connected with his studs high up the leg. On another occasion it could have been red, not yellow.
Lavezzi ran at and through Germany again on 36 minutes. Jerome Boateng had to get a Messi cut back away in that last ten minutes of the half, too. The Argentines looked confident and were getting the ball forward quick enough that they did not find themselves out-numbered when they attacked.
But Germany, as is their way, withstood this pressure. They had Andre Schurrle on for Kramer and in the final five minutes of the first half they made two good chances. Thomas Muller, a puzzle that the Argentine defence never got to grips with, popped up on the right and crossed to Ozil who teed the ball up for Kroos. His shot, which flicked off Ozil on its way goalwards, was saved by Sergio Romero. Kroos might have done better.
Then, with almost the last act of the game, Howedes headed a corner from the right side against the post. It was the first time that the Argentinians had to rely on their own good fortune to survive.
Two minutes after the break and Messi got himself into one of those positions behind the defence from which he has racked up the industrial quantities of goals for Barcelona. He was wider than he likes to be, which ruled out the trademark dink over the goalkeeper, but even so he normally finds the space between goalkeeper and post. This time he rolled it wide.
Just before the hour, Neuer came out to clear a ball on the left side of his box, jumping with his right leg raised to punch and catching Higuain flush on the head as he followed the flight of the ball. It looked a bad one, although the mercy was that Higuain was back on his feet almost immediately. For a goalkeeper who had hitherto barely put a foot wrong all tournament, it was a reckless challenge.
In the first period of extra-time, indeed, the first minute, Schurrle had another chance on the left which Romero saved well from. The substitute Rodrigo Palacio had an even better opportunity when Hummels missed the cross from the left but Neuer was quickly out and he shot wide. Then finally Gotze scored the goal that won the game for the team that never gives in.
Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Brazil | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 7 |
 Mexico | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 7 |
 Croatia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
 Cameroon | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | −8 | 0 |
Mexico 1-0 Cameroon
Brazil 0-0 Mexico
Cameroon 0-4 Croatia
Cameroon 1-4 Brazil
Croatia 1-3 Mexico
Group B
Spain 1-5 Netherlands
Chile 3-1 Australia
Australia 2-3 Netherlands
Spain 0-2 Chile
Australia 0-3 Spain
Netherlands 2-0 Chile
Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Netherlands | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 9 |
 Chile | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 6 |
 Spain | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 3 |
 Australia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 0 |
Chile 3-1 Australia
Australia 2-3 Netherlands
Spain 0-2 Chile
Australia 0-3 Spain
Netherlands 2-0 Chile
Group C
Colombia 3-0 Greece
Ivory Coast 2-1 Japan
Colombia 2-1 Ivory Coast
Japan 0-0 Greece
japan 1-4 Colombia
Greece 2-1 Ivory Coast
Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Colombia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 9 |
 Greece | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 4 |
 Ivory Coast | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 |
 Japan | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 1 |
Ivory Coast 2-1 Japan
Colombia 2-1 Ivory Coast
Japan 0-0 Greece
japan 1-4 Colombia
Greece 2-1 Ivory Coast
Group D
Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Costa Rica | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 7 |
 Uruguay | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
 Italy | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 3 |
 England | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 1 |
Uruguay 1-3 Costa Rica
England 1-2 Italy
Uruguay 2-1 England
Italy 0-1 Costa Rica
Italy 0-1 Uruguay
Costa Rica 0-0 England
Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 France | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 7 |
 Switzerland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 6 |
 Ecuador | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
 Honduras | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | −7 | 0 |
France 3-0 Honduras
Switzerland 2-5 France
Honduras 1-2 Ecuador
Honduras 0-3 Switzerland
Ecuador 0-0 France
Group F
Argentina 2-1 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Iran 0-0 Nigeria
Argentin 1-0 Iran
Nigeria 1-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Nigeria 2-3 Argentina
Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-1 Iran
Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 9 |
 Nigeria | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
 Bosnia-Herzegovina | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
 Iran | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 |
Iran 0-0 Nigeria
Argentin 1-0 Iran
Nigeria 1-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Nigeria 2-3 Argentina
Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-1 Iran
Group G
Germany 4-0 Portugal
Ghana 1-2 USA
Germany 2-2 Ghana
USA 2-2 Portugal
USA 0-1 Germany
Portugal 2-1 Ghana
Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Germany | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 7 |
 USA | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
 Portugal | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 4 |
 Ghana | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 1 |
Ghana 1-2 USA
Germany 2-2 Ghana
USA 2-2 Portugal
USA 0-1 Germany
Portugal 2-1 Ghana
Group H
Belgium 2-1 Algeria
Russia 1-1 South Korea
Belgium 1-0 Russia
South Korea 2-4 Algeria
South Korea 0-1 Belgium
Algeria 1-1 Russia
Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Belgium | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 9 |
 Algeria | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 4 |
 Russia | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 2 |
 South Korea | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 1 |
Russia 1-1 South Korea
Belgium 1-0 Russia
South Korea 2-4 Algeria
South Korea 0-1 Belgium
Algeria 1-1 Russia
Knockout stage
